The Choice
by Mogo Girl
Summary: There's no question that Hawke would trade Airwolf for Sinjin or any member of his family that was in danger if he had to but what if he had to choose between Caitlin and Sinjin? Cait's been kidnapped and Hawke's been sent proof that Sinjin is alive but when the ransom demands Airwolf in exchange for only one of their lives, who will he choose? If he can't choose, both will die!
1. Chapter 1

**The Choice**

A/N:_ I do not own Airwolf or any of the characters portrayed in the television show. Only the original characters and twisted plot bunnies are my own. I do not profit from this story in any way, it is meant for entertainment purposes only._

Chapter 1

_Caitlin's apartment, Tuesday morning._

Caitlin O'Shannessy looked at her watch again and sighed as she put the finishing touches on her makeup. It was already 8:15 am and she was due at her doctor's appointment in 45 minutes. "If I don't get a move on, I'm going to be late," she thought to herself. Giving herself one more look in the mirror, she quicky picked up her purse and headed for the door of her apartment.

Caitlin felt fine but had been promising Dom that she would get her annual pilot's and insurance physical for weeks. It could no longer be put off. "Man, I hate going to the doctor," she thought as she headed down the steps towards her apartment complex's parking lot. It only took her a few minutes to get to her car, unlock it and start it up. Taking a minute to put on her sunglasses she put the car into "drive" and began to pull out of the lot.

Just as her car began to roll, Caitlin was grabbed by a hand around her neck coming from behind her in the backseat. Feeling something cold and hard against her temple, Caitlin instinctively knew it was a gun. "Just stay calm and drive around behind the back building," a rough male voice whispered in her ear. "Do as you're told and you'll stay alive."

Being caught off guard and having no chance for recourse, Caitlin did as she was told. As soon as her car was hidden behind the building she was directed to, she was instructed to shut off the car and throw the keys out of the window. As soon as the keys were out of the car, another masked man appeared at the side of the car, pulling open the driver's side door and forcing Caitlin out of the car. She was immediately blindfolded, gagged, hit over the head and thrown in the back of the van as all went black.

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

_An undisclosed location, Tuesday morning_

"So we have the girl?" the man in the black suit asked as he watched the younger man in the room hang up the phone.

"Yes, sir. The boys just confirmed it. They are on the way to the warehouse with her now."

Nodding his approval as he brushed back his thick white hair, the man in the black suit calmly took a pull off his cigar. "Make sure she's not harmed any more than necessary. As soon as she regains consciousness, make the tape," he directed the other man.

"Yes, sir."

"What about the other items? I assume you were successful in getting everything I asked?"

"Yes, sir. It's all right here in the envelope," the younger man confirmed. "As soon as the tape of the girl is complete, I'll add it to the envelope. There's already a messenger waiting to hand deliver it to the Santini Air hangar."

"Good. I expect to be informed as soon as Mr. Hawke has received the package. That will be all for now, Connor."

Picking up the package the younger man left the room leaving the other man on his own. Once the black-suited man was alone, he walked towards a shelf on the far side of the room that held a silver-framed picture of another man. Picking up the frame, the man took a long look at the photo. "It's coming together my brother. Soon we'll have our revenge and Airwolf will be back where she belongs."

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

_Santini Air Hangar, Tuesday, Early afternoon._

"Hey, Dom!" Stringfellow Hawke yelled across the hangar from where he was working underneath the Stars and Stripes painted Hughes helicopter that was the signature chopper of Santini Air. "Can you bring me that wrench from over on the workbench?"

"I'm buried under a ton of paperwork," Dom hollered back from the office. "Have Caitlin get it for you."

Rolling out from under the helicopter, Hawke took a quick look around the hangar. Seeing no one else around, he took a quick glance at his watch. "One - thirty. Cait should have been back a couple of hours ago," he thought. A prickly feeling ran across the back of his neck as Hawke began to feel that something wasn't right. Getting up he headed towards the office. "Dom, Caitlin's not back yet. What time was her appointment?" he asked as he used a rag to wipe the grease off his hands.

"Nine o'clock," the older man said as he looked up at Hawke with concern. "You think something's wrong, String?"

Before Hawke could answer, a messenger entered the hangar. "Package for Stringfellow Hawke?" he questioned as he approached the office.

Reaching out, Hawke took the large, plain, manilla envelope. "That's me," he said as he signed the messenger's sheet. As the messenger turned to leave, Hawke stopped him. "Tell me what you know about this package. Where'd you get it?" Hawke sensed that whatever was in the package, it would have to do with Caitlin and he would eventually need to know all of the information he could.

"Hey man," the young messenger said as he held up his hands. "All I know is that the manager at the store gave it to me and said to deliver it. How do I know where it came from? Can I go, now?"

"Yeah, fine." Hawke said as he quickly turned his attention back to the package. Opening it, he dumped the contents out on the desk between himself and Dom. A black, unmarked video tape and a smaller sealed envelope now lay on the desk. "Dom, put in the tape," Hawke instructed as he tossed the tape to the older man.

As the TV warmed up, a clear picture of a blindfolded and gagged Caitlin tied to a chair came into view. A small trickle of blood ran down the side of her right temple but she appeared to be breathing normally and otherwise physically okay. A newspaper clearly showing the current date was on her lap.

"Damn!" Hawke said under his breath as Dom muttered a "Mamma Mia" at the same time.

Turning around Hawke reached for the smaller sealed envelope and tore it open. Turning it over, the contents that included a photograph, a set of dogtags and a lapel pin in the shape of a small helicopter clattered to the desk.

Picking up the pin, Dom audibly gasped. "Mother of God, String...is this what I think it is?"

"Yeah," was all the response that Dom received from the younger man who was visibly fighting back tears as he studied the photograph.  
After about a minute, Hawke lowered the photo and picked up the dogtags. "Sinjin" was all he said as he tenderly rubbed the raised lettering on the thin metal tags.

"String...this can't be," Dom said as he studied the photograph that Hawke had put back on the desk. "It sure as hell looks like Sinjin but this photo has got a date stamp of 2 days ago on the back! And that lapel pin, it looks like the one your mother gave to your father on their wedding day. Didn't Sinjin take that with him when he left for Vietnam?"

Nodding his head, Hawke laid down the dog tags he'd been holding. "And these are Sinjin's dogtags...that's his serial number. He's alive, Dom, and somebody knows where he is!"

"Yeah, okay...it sure looks that way, String. But what the hell does this have to do with Cait?" the older man asked as he looked back at the image on the tv screened and cringed.

"I don't know but I"m sure as hell going to find out!" Hawke exclaimed as he jumped up from the edge of the desk where'd he'd been sitting. Before he could even get to the door of the office, however, the phone rang. Somehow knowing this was no random call, he picked it up before it could ring a second time. "Hawke"

The voice on the other end was obviously electronically distorted and wasted no time with informalities. "Mr. Hawke, I assume by the tone of your voice you've received your package. Then you have also figured out that we have not only your red-headed co-worker but the location of your long-lost brother as well."

"What the hell do you want?" Hawke spat out.

"I'm sure you know the answer to that, Mr. Hawke. It's Airwolf, of course. Hand her over and you'll get to see either Ms. O'Shannessy or your brother again. It's as simple as that."

Hawke was about to tell the caller to go to hell when what the distorted voice had just said fully registered in his mind. "What the hell do you mean, 'either'?

"Just what I said, Mr. Hawke. When you deliver Airwolf, you'll get to make a choice. Either your brother or your little red-headed friend here. One lives and one dies...you get to make the decision. Of course you can refuse all together and both will die but I hardly think that's much fun, now is it? Surely one deserves to live, don't you think? I tell you what...I'll give you 24 hours. I'll call you back at 2:00 pm tomorrow afternoon with the coordinates on where to deliver Airwolf. That should give you enough time to check out the photographs and other items with Archangel to verify they are legitimate. As for the woman, I'll have her call you every four hours to let you know that she's still safe and sound. If you can't make a decision by this time tomorrow...both will be killed." And with that statement the line went dead.

_TBC..._


	2. Chapter 2

**The Choice**

_A/N: I do not own Airwolf or any of the characters portrayed in the television show. Only the original characters and twisted plot bunnies are my own. I do not profit from this story in any way, it is meant for entertainment purposes only. _

**Chapter 2**

_Santini Air hangar - Tuesday - 3:30 pm_

"So what do you think, Michael?" Dom asked the white-clad spy as Michael dropped the picture of St. John Hawke back on the desk.

"It all looks legitimate to me, Dominic," the spy answered as he nervously tapped his rosewood cane on the floor. "Of course I'll have Marella run everything through the lab but I doubt we'll find anything but our own fingerprints at this point and there's not much background in that picture that would allow us to identify any type of location either." Looking around the hangar, Michael finally asked out loud what he had been thinking since he'd arrrived after having been called by Hawke. "Where's String?"

"All of this," Dom said as he swept a hand past the desk and in front of the television screen, "it's almost too much for him. He said he needed some time to think. He took the motorcycle out, said he couldn't look at any of this anymore. I don't know how that boy's going to get through this, Michael. Losing either one could just push him over the edge." Dom said as he sank into his chair with a weary thud. "To have to be the one to make such a decision, well I just don't know where to begin!"

Walking over and putting a hand on the older man's shoulder, Archangel tried to comfort him. "Hopefully it won't come to that, Dominic. I've got my whole team at The Firm working on this and we've still got 22 hours before we have to make any decisions."

"There's no "we" Michael," Hawke said as he entered the office unannounced. "The caller said it was my decision and if it comes to that, I'll be the one making it. There's no way I'll put anyone else through that."

"And just how do you propose to do that, Hawke?" Michael asked as observed the stress lines that had already formed on the young pilot's face. "You just going to draw straws or flip a coin? And what about Airwolf? Why do I get the impression that you've already given her up in your mind?"

"Go to Hell, Michael!" Hawke snarled as he walked over to the tv screen where Cait's image was still being displayed. "First of all, right now I don't give a damn about Airwolf. If it took putting that helicopter directly in Khadaffi's own hands to get either Cait or Sinjin back, I'd gladly do it. Be damned you, The Firm or anyone else! As for making a decision between the two, I thought that's what you were here for...to make sure it doesn't come to that!"

"We're doing everything we can, Hawke. There's just not much to go on right now."

"What about the photo and the dog tags?" Hawke asked the spy, his eyes never leaving the image of Caitlin in front of him.

"As I told Dominic, everything seems legit. I'm going to have Marella run everything through the lab but I'm not sure that we're going to find anything. Right now our best bet is the six o'clock phone call with Caitlin. I've got our team setting up a tracer and some audio analysis equipment on your phone line as we speak. Hawke, any ideas on who's behind all of this? I know the voice was electronically enhanced but speech patterns, inflections, anything like that ring a bell with you?" the spy prodded.

"If it did, Michael, do you think I would just be standing here?" Hawke asked as he threw a piercing stare in the spy's direction.

"I had to ask," Michael answered as he adjusted his glasses in response to the pilot's discomforting gaze.

As the two glared at each other, Marella came to the office door. "Sir, we found Caitlin's car," she advised.

"And?" Hawke asked as he finally looked past Michael towards his dark-haired assistant.

"And, unfortunately, there's nothing there that's going to help us. They evidently got her before she even left the apartment complex. We found her car behind the last building. Her purse and jacket were still in the passenger seat. They must have been lying in wait for her."

"Great, another dead end!" Dominic said. "So what now? We're just going to sit here and wait for some phone call while Caitlin's out there with God knows what kind of monster?"

"And Sinjin." Hawke added quietly.

"Of course, String. Sinjin, too." Dom said as he looked compassionately over towards his surrogate son knowing that this whole situation must be killing him. For over 10 years, String had been searching for some clue that his brother might still be alive and that he had successfully escaped Vietnam when the war was over. Now, he finally received what he believed was pretty irrefutable proof that his brother WAS alive and here he was being forced to choose if he ever saw him again or whether his best friend, and truth be told, the woman he had fallen in love with would die instead. An impossible situation.

Hawke took one last glance at the image of Caitlin on the screen before turning and heading out of the office. He stopped only long enough to pick up the lapel pin that lay on the desk before striding out to the hangar. Dom quickly followed after him. "String..."

Stopping but refusing to turn and look at the older man, Hawke spoke quietly. "No, Dom. Not yet. I just need some time. I'm taking the Sikorsky. I'll be back before six for the phone call. If anything comes up before then, you can reach me by radio. "

"Yeah, String. Okay," Dom said somewhat forlornly as he watched String head out to the helicopter and climb in. Dom felt a sickness in the pit of his stomach. He knew it was going to take nothing less than a miracle to get them all through this and even if they did, he wasn't sure what state Hawke would be left in. Even a man like Stringfellow Hawke had his breaking point and this might be the trigger for String's.

_TBC..._

_A/N: Hope you are enjoying. Please leave a review letting me know what you think. : ) Thanks!_


	3. Chapter 3

**The Choice**

_A/N: I do not own Airwolf or any of the characters portrayed in the television show. Only the original characters and twisted plot bunnies are my own. I do not profit from this story in any way, it is meant for entertainment purposes only._

Chapter 2

Hawke took off in the Sikorsky helicopter with no intention other than trying to clear his head and get some lucid thoughts running through his mind. Flying always seemed to do that for him. He didn't need a destination, just to be above the earth soaring like the eagle he so much envied. However, before he even consciously realized it, he had set down about a half mile from The Lair and found himself walking through The Valley of The Gods; Airwolf drawing him in like some Siren calling to him in the night.

Entering The Lair, Hawke stopped as his gaze fell upon the magnificent black and grey machine that stood in front of him bathed in a spotlight of sun that was streaming in from the top of the funnel. Stopping about 30 feet from Airwolf he leaned back against a large boulder, his arms crossed unconsciously but protectively over his heart, as he studied the helicopter that had brought him to this point.

_"How in the hell did I get to this point in my life?"_ he wondered silently._ "How is it that I've let a piece of machinery, nothing more than a bunch of screws and metals and wire, come to mean so much that it's worth the life of one the two most important people in my life? And how in hell am I supposed to decide which one is supposed to pay the ultimate sacrifice because of it?"_

"Damn you!" he shouted as he reached down and picked up a small stone off of the floor of The Lair and threw it at the nose of the helicopter. As it hit with a dull clunk, Airwolf coincidentally let go with a hiss as her hydraulics vented with a change of temperature as the sun moved slightly across the afternoon sky.

Suddenly it was as if Hawke couldn't breathe and he lowered himself to the ground, putting his head in his hands and the tears began to flow. After a few minutes he lifted his head, his eyes falling directly back on the helicopter that almost seemed to be staring back at him.

Looking past the reflective windshield, he could almost make out the engineer's seat and in his mind he could see Caitlin sitting there. His mind drifted back to her first flight in the mach one aircraft and how, in her eagerness, she had almost deployed the weapons without releasing the armament pods. It had been pretty scary then but he couldn't help but chuckle as he remembered her almost-childlike awe of the machine. Even wearing her cumbersome flight helmet there had been no mistaking the sparkle in her eyes and her freckles that danced across her cheeks as she smiled widely with the pure joy of flight in such a machine.

She had been so naive back then, he thought. Sure she had been a Texas State Trooper but she was so young and inexperienced, she really didn't have a clue about what the world could really be like; the evil that lurked all around. She had started to get a sense of it with the whole Bogan mess but even then she'd had no idea what she was really getting herself into. But oh how she had changed in the two years since she had come to find Hawke and his "black battleship with rotors". Caitlin O'Shannessy had grown into a woman that was strong and tough and fiercly loyal, traits that Hawke admired in her. He also envied her genuine happiness and fresh outlook on life that she had seemed to bring with her. However, since becoming a part of the Airwolf crew, Hawke had also noticed that Caitlin had started to become somewhat distrustful and suspicous of those around her. He knew that was a result of her experiences with Airwolf and he felt guilty for being the one to introduce her to those feelings.

And throughout it all, he realized something else...somewhere along the line he had fallen in love with her. There had been an instant connection with her, even on their very first meeting when he was locked in the Pope County jail he had sensed something very appealing about the feisty redhead. Upon her arrival at the Santini Air hangar he had even surprised himself at how happy he had been to see her. She had immediately fit in at Santini Air and it hadn't taken long before Hawke considered her someone he would call a friend, a term he didn't take lightly and a title that very few people in his world would ever have. If asked, it's how he still referred to her but if he was being honest, he knew that at some point his feelings had changed for her into something deeper.

Looking back, things had probably started to change with the whole John Horn incident. Caitlin, without a second thought for her own safety or well-being, had risked her life to save his. When she had injected him with what she had hoped was an antidote to the mind-altering drugs Horn had give him...she had feared that she had killed Hawke instead of saving him. As he regained consciousness to find Caitlin draped over his body in grief, an instinctual and automatic feeling of love had washed over him. His primal response had been to comfort her and to dry her tears, followed closely by a deep longing to kiss her. He had barely resisted the urge knowing that it was more important to find a way to safety but since that day, Hawke had sensed his feelings for Caitlin becoming stronger. He had tried to mask those feelings with other women but no matter how hard he tried to fight it, his thoughts would always come back to the red head and he often found himself daydreaming about what a romantic relationship with her would be like. It seemed that anytime he found himself smiling, it was because Caitlin had crossed his mind.

Now he could barely remember what his life had been like before Caitlin O'Shannessy and he certainly couldn't imagine a life going forward without her in it. He needed her, he realized. She was the balance that he so desperately needed in his life; the bright spot that kept what little faith he had in this world alive. Caitlin and his deep-rooted need (obsession?) to find his MIA brother, St. John, those were the things that gave him a reason to live.

Instinctively, as Sinjin came into his thoughts, Hawke reached into his shirt pocket and took out the helicopter lapel pin that he had grabbed off Dom's desk as he left the hangar. Looking at the small pin, Hawke's longing to see his brother, his family, made his heart clench with grief. Sure, he had Dom who had been a savior to him, taking over the role of mother and father when String's parents had been killed in a boating accident when String was only 12. Dom had immediately and without question taken over the care of both String and Sinjin and Hawke couldn't have asked for a better mentor and guardian. But while Dom would always be considered family...he wasn't blood. Hawke couldn't explain it but the need for that connection of DNA and flesh and blood relations was desperately something that Hawke longed for. It was that connection that had kept him so fervantly looking for his brother when all others had told him that it was a hopeless cause.

And now, as he looked down at the family heirloom he held in the palm of his hand, he KNEW that Sinjin was alive and still out there. He could FEEL him. He also knew that he was the only one that could bring him home where he belonged. And he was FAMILY...how could String even think of choosing someone else's life over his own brother's? It should be an easy choice...until he realized that his connection with Caitlin was no less powerful than the one he felt with his own brother.

"Damn you!" he muttered again as he looked over at Airwolf although he wasn't sure if it was the machine or himself that the comment was directed at. Glancing at his watch he saw that he had been sitting in The Lair for well over an hour. He had just enough time to make it back to the hangar in time for the phone call from the kidnappers and, more importantly, Caitlin.

Forcing himself up, he headed back out of The Lair, never looking back at the machine behind him. As he walked back towards the Sikorsky he realized that the next 24 hours, no matter how they turned out, would change his life and his family forever. Scanning the ominous landscape of this so-called Valley of the Gods, Hawke laughed to himself. "_Valley of the Gods, my ass," he thought, "no self-respecting 'god' would ever force me to make this choice..._

_TBC..._


	4. Chapter 4

**The Choice**

_A/N: I do not own Airwolf or any of the characters portrayed in the television show. Only the original characters and twisted plot bunnies are my own. I do not profit from this story in any way, it is meant for entertainment purposes only. _

**Chapter 4**

_Undisclosed location, Tuesday, 5:45 pm_

"Is she ready?" the white haired man asked his younger counterpart.

"Yes, the girl has been moved to a secure location, the blindfold and gag have been removed and the signal scramblers have been set up on the phones," the younger man advised.

"Good. And you're sure that she knows nothing about the brother, St. John?"

"Yes. Even my men aren't aware of the other half of this plan so there's no way that she suspects anything."

"Excellent, Connor," the older man said with a grin. "This way when Stringfellow Hawke chooses his brother over her, as I suspect he eventually will, she'll believe that he didn't come after her solely because her life wasn't worth giving up Airwolf for. She'll die thinking he didn't care and he'll go crazy having to let her die. It's perfect, don't you think?"

"Sure, C.H. but is it really worth all of this trouble? Hawke would turn over Airwolf right now for either one of them, why all the extra time and hassle?"

"Because Stringfellow Hawke is going to pay for what he did to my brother!" the older man stated with a flash of intense of anger. "I'm going to make sure that he loses everything that's most important to him. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," the man named Connor answered weakly. He had seen that look in the older man's eyes, as well the man's brother, before and he knew when it was time to ask stopping questions if you knew what was good for your health.

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

_Santini Air hangar, Tuesday, 5:50 pm_

"String!" Dom said with relief as he saw the pilot walking into the hangar. "I was worried you weren't going to make it back in time. You okay?"

"No." String answered matter-of-factly . "But I'm here."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, kid," Dom said softly as he put his hand on Hawke's shoulder. "I don't think any of us are going to be okay until this is all over and we have Cait and Sinjin back home where they both belong."

Simply nodding his head, String walked with Dom into the office. "Michael," he addressed the spy who was already there waiting for them. "Did you come up with anything?"

"Not a thing," the spy answered with a quick shake of his head. "Just as we suspected the only prints on the tags or the photo were ours and I've had the forensics boys going over the tape of Caitlin with a fine-tooth comb and there's just nothing there to give us a clue to her location. I'm sorry, Hawke."

"Well sorry's not going to cut it this time, Michael!" Hawke said as his steel-blue eyes flashed with anger.

"And just what the hell do you expect me to do, Hawke?" Michael returned irately .

"Mamma Mia!" Dom intervened as he stepped between the two men. "C'mon guys, we can't do this. We've got to keep it together or we're going to lose both of them. We've been in tough situations before and we've gotten out of them by working together. Right?" Dom tried to reason as he looked back and forth between them.

After a few seconds of an icy stare, Hawke acquiesced. "You're right, Dom. Sorry, Michael."

Adjusting his glasses, the spy softened his stance as well. "It's alright, Hawke. We're all on edge right now. Let's get through this phone call and maybe it'll give us something to work with."

"Yeah," Hawke agreed with a grunt.

As if on cue, the phone on Dom's desk began to ring. Archangel held up one finger to signal Hawke to wait to pick up as he turned to an electronic device behind him that had evidently been set up in Hawke's absence and pushed a button causing a green light to come on. Once that was done, he looked at Hawke and said, "Okay".

Hawke picked up the receiver as Dom leaned in closer so he could listen in. "Yeah," was all the younger pilot said as he answered the call.

"Hawke?" Caitlin's frightened voice came over the phone.

"Caitlin!" he said, relief flooding over him as he heard her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," she answered. "My head's a little fuzzy, kind of feels like being in a cone of confusion. And it's as cold as heavy metal in here!" she continued with a heavy texas twang coming into her voice.

Dom and Hawke exchanged knowing glances at Cait's statement as Michael looked on with a look of compete befuddlement. _"That's my girl," _Hawke thought as he smiled slightly.

"Just hang on, Cait, it's going to be okay. I promise!" Hawke said as he heard Cait protest as the phone was evidently being taken away from her.

"Really, Mr. Hawke," an electronically distorted voice said, taking the place of Cait's. "You shouldn't make promises you may not be able to keep. Unless you've made a decision, we'll call you back in four hours. But let me warn you, every four hours you wait, the worse for wear your co-worker will be." Hawke started to ask what the caller meant but the words stuck in his throat when he heard what sounded like flesh hitting against flesh and a loud yelp of pain that came from Cait in the background. _"Take her away!" _Hawke heard the distorted voice telling someone off the phone as he heard what sounded like Cait struggling against her captors as she was evidently being dragged out of the room.

"You bastard!" Hawke yelled into the phone. "That wasn't part of the deal. You gave me 24 hours!"

"And you still have it, Mr. Hawke. But this is my game and I make the rules. If you don't like it, we can make the exchange right now and you can end the lady's discomfort. Of course, you can just go ahead and choose your brother instead and end Ms. O'Shannessy's pain all together if you like. It's up to you."

"Sinjin...I want to talk to him. How do I even know he's really alive and this isn't all some elaborate hoax?" Hawke demanded, trying to buy some time for Michael to get a trace on the call.

"No, Mr. Hawke...I've given you enough for now. I can see you're not ready to make this decision. I'll call you back at 10 pm. Maybe by then you'll be thinking clearer."

"Wait.." Hawke started to say but was too late as he heard the click of the phone line echo in his ear.

"Dammit!" he cursed as he slammed the phone down on his end. Looking to Michael, he grimaced as the spy just shook his head indicating that he'd been unable to obtain a trace.

"I did get a recording of the whole conversation, though," the spy advised. "I'll get it to the lab at The Firm and maybe they can extract something from the electronic voice. Now, are either of you going to tell me what in the world Caitlin was talking about and what was up with that exaggerated accent?"

Dom chuckled. "Clues, Archangel. She was giving us clues as to where she was. I'm telling you that girl is one smart cookie!" he exclaimed with pride.

"I still don't get it..." the spy said in frustration as he absently brushed his mustache.

"Its simple, Michael," Hawke explained. "She was using terminology used mainly by pilots and airport personnel. Heavy metal usually refers to large airplanes like passenger jets. The Cone of Confusion is sometimes used by pilots to describe the area around the control tower where there's a lot of radio traffic and congestion. I think Cait was trying to tell us she's being held at or near a major airport. Not sure about the accent but my guess is that she was trying to make her comments sound like local Texas colloquialisms to throw off anyone who might be suspicious. It seemed to work since she didn't get any immediate reaction from her captors."

"Damn, you're right, Dominic," Michael agreed with admiration. "If Hawke's right in his assumptions, that's one smart girl. I'll get this tape back to the lab and I'll get our best teams working on a search of local airports that can handle large aircraft. However, you both know that's a lot of ground to cover. There must be thousands of places to hide someone at any airport. This isn't going to be easy."

"It's more to go on than we had 15 minutes ago, Michael." Dominic, ever the eternal optimist, pointed out.

"Michael, if she is at an airport, I have to assume that whoever has her has access to some behind the scenes or restricted zones. Start by checking airport personnel. Maybe there's something in someone's background that would raise a red flag, " Hawke instructed.

"I'll get our people started on it, Hawke, but that's still a mighty tall order. There's got to be thousands of employees at any airport. I'll have Marella try to narrow it down some and see what we can do. I'll be back in touch before the next scheduled call," Michael informed the two pilots as he turned to leave. Stopping as he got to the door, he turned back and looked at Hawke. "I promise you, String...I'll do everything in my power to get her back safe and sound. Sinjin, too."

"I know, Michael...I know." Hawke said with a weary sigh. "I just hope you understand if I don't just sit here and wait for The Firm to come up with something. I've got a few ideas to follow up on myself."

"Anything you care to share?" the spy asked as Dom glanced at Hawke with a surprised look of his own.

"No, not now. If something comes of it, I'll let you know, " Hawke said as Michael nodded in acceptance and headed out towards his waiting white limo.

"And me?" Dom asked Hawke as soon as Archangel was out of earshot. "Are you going to let me in on this or are you going to be your usual pig-headed, stubborn self and lock me out, too?"

Dom could tell by the look on the younger man's face that that was exactly what Hawke had planned to do but something in the tone of Dom's voice must have changed his mind. "No, Dom...c'mon, let's go get The Lady and I'll fill you in on the way. We don't have much time before the next phone call."

_TBC..._


	5. Chapter 5

The Choice

_A/N: I do not own Airwolf or any of the characters portrayed in the television show. Only the original characters and twisted plot bunnies are my own. I do not profit from this story in any way, it is meant for entertainment purposes only._

Chapter 5

Tuesday 6:30 pm

Hawke and Dom were headed towards The Lair in the Santini Air Jeep when Hawke explained his idea to Dom.

"Mace Taggert?" Dom asked with surprise. "String, he almost killed us! Not to mention the fact that we ended up blowing him and that HX1 helicopter out of the sky! The last people on earth who are going to want to see you, much less talk to you, are his parents!"

"I know, Dom, but right now it's the only option I have. Other than me and Ellie, no one was closer to Sinjin. I know that Ellie doesn't know anything, she's gotten as far away from anything to do with Vietnam as possible. That leaves Taggert. He knew something about Sinjin, I know he did. Maybe, just maybe, there's something in whatever personal belongings got sent back to his parents after his death that will give me a clue to where Sinjin is. If his parents won't help on my account, maybe we can convince them to do it for Sinjin."

"I guess it's worth a try String, but I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. Mace's parents had a hard enough time when they thought their son had died honorably fighting in Vietnam. Dredging up all this mercenary business with them again is not going to be something they want to do."

Hawke didn't answer. He knew that Dom was right and putting Mace's parents through all of this again was not something he wanted to do either but he also knew that his only chance of saving both Sinjin and Caitlin was to find them himself and get them back from whatever hell holes they were in before the 24 hour deadline was up. Right now, Archangel and The Firm were using all of their resources to search  
for Caitlin so Hawke felt his time was best used on the search for his brother. He and Dom would take Airwolf since Mace's parents had left the area after his death and moved to a ranch in Arizona. They would need the mach speed of Airwolf to get there and back in time for the next phone call from Caitlin.

"_Catlin_." Hawke felt physically ill every time he thought about her and the sound of her being abused on the phone. He had tried to keep his focus on Sinjin but he kept picturing Caitlin on that video. As much as he truly believed that Sinjin was still alive, it had been so long since he had had any type of contact with him that sometimes it was hard to still feel truly connected with him. It pained Hawke to admit that to himself but he knew, if he was being honest, it was true.

Caitlin, however, was a different story. Every time she came to his mind he could still smell the faint scent of the lightly floral perfume she wore; he could see the sunlight playing off her porcelain white skin and the scattering of freckles that seemd to dance across her face when she smiled; he could hear her laughter that always seemed to linger after her wherever she went. Thoughts of what might be happening to her right at this moment and as this ordeal progressed caused him actual physical pains.

"String? You okay, kid?" Dom asked from the engineer's console behind Hawke in Airwolf. While he couldn't see the younger man's face he had caught the faint catch in his breath. He was pretty sure he had a pretty good idea what must be going through String's mind.

"Dom, what the hell am I going to do? How do I choose?" String asked quietly without turning around. "My first instinct is to go after Sinjin. He's my brother for God's sake. I've been looking so long and now I feel that I'm closer to finding him than I've ever been. But, Cait, I can't get her out of my mind. I can't imagine life without her. Hell, I barely remember it before her! I NEED her, Dom. I don't think I even knew that until now. But I know that if she was here, she'd tell me to go after my brother...family is more important. And, honestly, Dom, if he's out there and I haven't done everything I can to get to him, I don't know if I could live with myself."

A tear rolled down Dom's face as he empathized with String's struggle. "I don't know, String. But we still have time. Right now, we need to focus on finding both of them. Cait's doing all she can to help us from her end. She's tough, she'll be okay. In the meantime, you and I, we'll work on Sinjin. If we're lucky, by the time we're done here, we won't need to make a decision."

"Yeah." String agreed without too much confidence.

"We're approaching the Taggert home, String." Dom said after a few more minutes of silent flight. "I'm scanning the area for a good place to set her down. It looks like there's a good clearing about 300 yards from the main house."

"All right. Let's get this over with." String said as he hit the switch for Airwolf's landing gear.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW AW

_Taggert residence, 8:35 pm, Tuesday_

It had taken every ounce of determination and some quick talking by Dominic before the Taggerts would even open the door to the two pilots but finally they had acquiesced. Once inside it had taken another 20 minutes of convincing before Mace's father would agree to allow String to go through Mace's things. It had somewhat surprised String when he found that the boxes he was led to in the garage of the couple's home were still sealed.

"Mace's mother couldn't deal with it," Mr. Taggert had said in way of an explanation. "She was more afraid of what she might find that would destroy any good memories she had of our son. I would appreciate if that whatever you find in those boxes, you keep to yourself. Seal them back when you're done. There's some tape on the shelves over there. And let yourself out. We understand your need to find your brother String but, for us, we've tried to put all of that behind us. You'll understand if, after this, we ask that you make no further contact with us. We know that you did what you had to do when it came to Mace and we don't blame you but having you here, it's just too difficult for my wife."

"Yes, sir. I understand," Hawke had respectfully responded. He realized that while his reaction was always to run head first towards anything about his brother that a lot of families of Vietnam soldiers found the best way to deal with their grief from the war was to not deal with it all. String understood enough, having seen the pain from both sides, that however one could find a way to deal with the aftermath of war was okay.

Now, as he searched through the meager trinkets that indicated all that was left of Mace Taggert, he could fully understand why Mace's mother wouldn't want to reduce her son's existence to such trifles. After rifling through two boxes of minutiae, Hawke was not feeling very hopeful that he would find anything of interest in the third and final box as he slid his pocket knife across the tape that held it shut. The last box was the smallest and the lightest of the three. As he opened the flaps, he was surprised at what he found. Inside lay a 6x9 sealed manilla envelope with String's own name on the outside of it. Nothing else was in the box.

Reaching inside the box, String removed the envelope and tentatively opened it, dropping the contents onto the workbench next to him.

"What the...?" Dom said as he looked at the items scattered across the bench and then to String.

"Let's get these to Michael," String said as he carefully slid the items back into the envelope. "Have you sealed the other boxes back?"

"Yeah, but String..." Dom started before being cut off by the younger man.

"I don't understand it either, Dom. None of this makes a whole lot of sense right now but we've got to get back to Airwolf now or we're going to miss that phone call and I don't want to even think what might happen if we're not there when it comes in. I need to hear Cait's voice and know that she's still okay. Let's go!"

_TBC_...


	6. Chapter 6

**The Choice**

_A/N: I do not own Airwolf or any of the characters portrayed in the television show. Only the original characters and twisted plot bunnies are my own. I do not profit from this story in any way, it is meant for entertainment purposes only. _

_A/N: A bonus! I was able to get in one more short but very pivotal chapter today. I hope you enjoy. Much more to come in this story :) _

**Chapter 6**

_Undisclosed location, 9:26 pm, Tuesday_

"Connor, how's the girl? I trust you weren't too rough on her? We need her somewhat conherent for the next phone call," the white-haired man asked as his younger cohort entered the room.

"Don't worry, C.H. She'll be able to talk to Hawke, she just won't look quite as pretty the next time he sees her," the younger man said with a smug grin.

"Like father, like son," the older man retorted. "Your father always did have quite a unique way with his women. It would seem you have inherited that trait."

"And you, Uncle, seem to have inherited your brother's penchant for the dramatic. If you'll allow me speak, honestly?"

"Of course..."

"Well, again, it just seems that this whole ruse with Hawke's brother and the 24 hours is just wasting time. Threatening the girl alone would have been enough to have him turn over Airwolf. While I appreciate the chance to hone my father's methods with women, I just have to wonder if we aren't asking for more trouble than we need. Archangel is no slouch, he'll have every available FIRM employee working on this. The more time we give them, the more dangerous this little game becomes."

"Are you finished?" asked the older man as he took a puff on his ever-present cigar as Connor nodded meekly.

"Because, dear Nephew, the reward isn't half as good if the game is too easy. Why you didn't learn THAT from my dear brother Charles, I'll never know. Now, get the girl ready for the next call. If the game proceeds as I believe it will, you'll have another chance for a little more fun of your own."

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

_Santini Air Hangar, 9:42pm, Tuesday_

Hawke and Dominic had just made it back to the hangar when they saw Michael's white limo drive up. They watched as the spy walked into the office carrying a thick file in his hand. Due to what they had found among Mace Taggerts belongings, Hawke had had Dom notify the spy as soon as they had lifted off from the Taggert's ranch and asked him to run a full background check on Mace dating back to their days in Vietnam.

"What did you find, Michael?" Hawke asked as soon as the spy was in hearing range. Glancing at his watch he knew time was short and there was no time for explanations or niceties before the the phone call from Caitlin was due to come in.

"Not a whole lot that we didn't already know, Hawke. We took a good look at Taggert during the whole HX1 deal and there's really nothing I can add to that. Now you want to tell me why you're looking into a man thats been dead for several months?"

Instead of answering, Hawke just reached for the file and began to scan through the papers contained within. Not sure what he was looking for he was hoping that something would catch his eye. On a second run-through, he found just that. "Of course," he mumbled mostly to himself wondering why he hadn't made the connection before.

"You've got something?" Dom asked as he noticed the look of recognition cross Hawke's face.

"Yeah. I think I may have just figured out who has Cait," Hawke said.

"That's great!" Dom exclaimed but hesitated as he saw the concern etched on String's face. "String, what is it?"

Instead of answering Dom directly, Hawke focused his attention on the spy. "Michael, how fast can you get me The Firm file on Moffet?

_TBC..._

_A/N: So...were you surprised at who our villian is? I hope so! Please review and let me know what you think of the plot twist. The next chapter will reveal what Dom and String found in Mace's belongings that made them suspicious. _


	7. Chapter 7

**The Choice**

_A/N: I do not own Airwolf or any of the characters portrayed in the television show. Only the original characters and twisted plot bunnies are my own. I do not profit from this story in any way, it is meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Chapter 7**

_Santini Air Hangar, 9:53 pm, Tuesday_

"Moffet?" Archangel and Dom both exclaimed in unison.

"I don't have much time to explain," Hawke said to both men as he glanced at the clock on the wall of Dom's office. " Cait's call is due to come in in about five minutes. All I can tell you is that I think there's a connection between Moffet and Taggert. What I need right now Michael is any information you have on the time Moffet was in White Sands and exactly what he was working on while there. Also, If I remember correctly, Moffet had a brother, although at the time we were testing Airwolf Moffet claimed to have no contact with any family. We considered him a loner. Michael, I need you to find the brother."

"So you think Moffet's brother may have Cait?" Dom asked.

"That would be my guess," Hawke agreed. "And he's using her and the possiblity of me finding Sinjin to get back at me for killing his brother and to regain control of Airwolf. Unfortunately, if I'm right, whatever he tried to make me believe he had on Sinjin is just a ruse to try and make me suffer by forcing me to make this unthinkable choice he's presented to me. At this point, I don't even think Sinjin is alive." Hawke's voice caught as he said out loud what he had been thinking since he found the envelope at Taggert's but hadn't wanted to admit. "But until I can confirm all of my suspicions I can't tip my hand and Cait is going to have hang on for a couple of more hours."

"Mama Mia!" Dom cried. "That means when you refuse to give up Airwolf during this next call, she's going to be at the mercy of this madman again."

"I know, Dom, and it's killing me but we don't have any choice. If he thinks I'm onto him, he'll kill her...or worse." Hawke cringed as he remembered how he had found Gabrielle in the desert after she had been systematically tortured by Moffet.

"Hawke, I don't understand, how did you figure all of this out?" Michael asked.

"In Mace's belongings we found an envelope addressed to me. Inside were the real lapel pin and dogtags that belonged to Sinjin. There was also a letter addressed to me in Sinjin's handwriting saying that if I was reading that...it would mean that he was dead. It would make sense for Mace to have those things. Sinjin would have given them to him if he thought something was going to happen to him and Mace was the only one Sinjin would have trusted to get those things to me when the time came."

"But he didn't..." Michael deduced.

"No but somebody knew enough about them to have really good copies made and whoever that was knew that when I saw them, especially along with what I realize now was an obviously good but faked photo of Sinjin, that I would have to believe that they were the real thing and that the only place they could have come from were my brother. There was no way that I could have known that Mace had possession of those items before we went to see his parents. I don't know how or why but I think if we look back to whatever Charles Moffet was doing at White Sands when he got in trouble with the government, we might find the answers. There's a few things in Mace's file that indicate he may have been in New Mexico at the same time."

"Damn..." Michael said as he banged his rosewood cane on the floor. "How did I miss that connection before?"

"Because without all of the pieces, the puzzle just couldn't be put together," Hawke said. "Now, can you get me Moffet's file?"

"You got it, Hawke!" Michael said as he headed outside to make the call for the file from his phone in the limo.

Mentally and physically exhausted from the last several hours and everything that was coming to light, Hawke collapsed into the nearest chair. Looking up at his mentor, Hawke looked as if he had aged 10 years in the last 10 hours. "Dom, Cait's going to be calling in a few seconds expecting us to be there for her and I have to tell her she has to wait and endure more of Moffet's sick cruelty. How the hell am I supposed to do that? I don't know if I can handle much more of this."

Pulling up a chair next to Hawke and sitting down, Dom put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I don't know, String but I do know that Cait knows you well enough to know that you are doing everything you possibly can to get her back. She'll understand and she's strong...she can handle whatever comes her way. You have to believe that."

Before Hawke could answer, the phone rang. Taking a deep breath, Hawke braced himself for what was to come and picked up the receiver. "Caitlin?"

"Yeah, Hawke, it's me." Cait said in a weak voice. Hawke could tell that she was obviously in some type of pain.

"Cait, are you okay?" Hawke asked softly, concern weighing heavy on his voice.

"Sure," the feisty redhead answered unconvincingly but hoping to keep Hawke from worrying so much. "I'm just fine, Hawke but I sure would like to get out of here and come home. I'm not sure what they're talking about but they said if you would just tell them your decision, they'd let me go."

"I know Cait, and there's nothing I want to do more than to have you come home but I can't give them an answer, not yet. But you have to believe me Caitlin, I am coming for you...just as soon as I can." Hawke's voice caught as he tried his best to keep himself together. Having to tell Caitlin that she wasn't coming home was the hardest thing he ever had to do. If it really was Moffet's brother that had her and he was anything like Charles Henry Moffet, String couldn't even imagine what might be in store for her. His only hope was that the 24 hour time limit was still in place and that Moffet knew he would have to keep her alive until at least sometime tomorrow for his plan to work. String was counting on that.

As soon as Hawke finished speaking he could hear the phone being taken out of Cait's hands. Once again he was forced to listen as she was obviously beaten and then dragged out of the room. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he white-knuckled the phone receiver.

"Well, Mr. Hawke, " the now-familiar electronically distorted voice came across the phone, "I must say I'm quite surprised. I didn't think it would take this long to make your decision. You must be weighing all of your options, very carefully. I'm impressed. However, I must also warn you that if I think for one second that you are planning something other than handing over Airwolf in exchange for either Ms. O'Shannessy or your brother, you won't like the results."

"If you kill them, you'll never get your hands on Airwolf!" Hawke reminded the voice.

"I won't have to kill them, Stringfellow. Believe me, there are much worse things that can happen to a person. Now, think about that and maybe by the time the little lady makes her next call at two a.m., you'll have a decision to tell me." The next thing Hawke heard was a dial tone in his ear.

_TBC_...


	8. Chapter 8

**The Choice**

_A/N: I do not own Airwolf or any of the characters portrayed in the television show. Only the original characters and twisted plot bunnies are my own. I do not profit from this story in any way, it is meant for entertainment purposes only. _

**Chapter 8**

_Knightsbridge,10:36 pm; Tuesday _

Following the 10:00 pm phone call, String and Dominic headed directly over to Knightsbridge where Michael and Marella had been working to dig up whatever they could on Charles' Moffet's brother. Dom who was in the pilot's seat of the Stars and Stripes copter, looked worriedly over at the younger man next to him. Since the end of the phone call, Hawke had been virtually silent. Dom knew that hearing Caitlin's haggard voice and then the beating had almost taken String to his breaking point. That coupled on top of the fact that String had pretty much convinced himself that his brother was actually dead, and probably had been for many years, had Dom concerned that this just might be the event that would prove to push Hawke completely over the edge.

Landing on the helipad at Knightsbridge, Dom had to actually reach over and touch Hawke on the shoulder to get his attention. "Hey, String...we're here."

"Huh?...Oh, yeah." Hawke looked up seeing that Dom had landed at Knightsbridge. He realized that he couldn't even remember the flight from Santini Air to The Firm headquarters. Since the latest phone call, String couldn't get Caitlin out of his mind. He knew that even before the latest beating she had been in pain from whatever Moffet had done to her. How he had even come to the decision that would cause her to have to endure even more he couldn't rationalize. He knew now, though, that his only focus from this point forward was to get Caitlin back alive. He also knew that, for him, the 24 hour time limit no longer had any meaning. In his mind he now had three and a half hours to find her and get her out of Moffet's hands before the next scheduled phone call.

Within minutes of landing, Dom and String had made their way into Archangel's office where they found the spy and his assistant, Marella, working diligently in front of the large screen compter.

"Tell me you've found something, Michael," Hawke said without introduction as he entered the office. "Cait's running out of time."

"Marella, tell them what we have," Michael directed immediately handing the conversation over to the dark-haired woman.

"Well we started by looking at Mace Taggert's presence in White Sands. You were right, Hawke, there are several reports that Mace was there at the same time that Charles Henry Moffet was testing aircraft for the govenment. As you may or may not know, Moffet caused quite a stir while at White Sands when several women were raped and beaten in the area. The government was aware of Dr. Moffet's tendencies with women but, I'm ashamed to say, swept the incidents under the rug and paid off the women and their families because they felt that Moffet was too valuable what with his vast knowledge of military aircraft and of course with the developing Airwolf project."

"Nice people you work for, Archangel," Dom said with disdain as he listened to Marella with arms crossed.

"Believe me, Dominc, it's not something I'm proud of," Michael said as he nervously adjusted his glasses.

Not wanting to waste any time, Hawke interrupted and tried to push the explanation forward. "So we've got Mace and Moffet at White Sands at the same time. How does that get us to today with Moffet's brother and his connection with Mace?"

"Well, this is where it got a little tricky," Marella said as she began typing on her computer keyboard bringing up photos as she spoke. "At first I couldn't find anything on the brother other than a name from Charles' family history, Christopher Hamilton Moffet. However there was no mention or sightings of anyone by that name in any records I could find. So it only made sense to me that he was going by another name so I widened the search to look for any aliases. I made some progess when I found some mentions of a Christopher Hamilton, no Moffet, in some deeply buried Airforce files. Evidently Charles wasn't the only aircraft expert in the family. Christopher Hamilton, or C.H., as most people referred to him had at one time, before and during Vietnam, been the Air force's go-to guy for developing military aircraft."

"Look, Marella, this is all very interesting but time is short and Caitlin doesn't have time for us to sit here and listen to a full summary of the Moffet family history...can you get to the point?" Hawke asked impatiently.

"I'm trying, Hawke," Marella answered with her own irritation. "Look, I'll make this as quick as I can. About the end of Vietnam, C.H. left the military and word is that he had gone rogue working with mercenaries and providing military-grade aircraft and weapons to the highest bidder. As you know, his brother Charles Moffet stayed with our government developing Airwolf. At the end of the war, Mace Taggert was officially declared MIA and considered dead by most sources although we all now know he was alive and evidently working both sides of the fence. At one point he was helping Charles test military equipment in White Sands while we believe at the same time he was helping C.H. on mercenary missions. Fast forward to two years ago, Moffet steals Airwolf, you go after him and get Airwolf back, killing the Doctor in the process. C.H. wants revenge and he wants Airwolf and he figures that Taggert is the one person who would have information about Sinjin that he might be able to use in his vendetta against you. Mace gives him what he needs but in the meantime, while waiting for the perfect opportunity to play out his plan for revenge, you have your run in with Mace and the whole HX1 debacle and kill him."

"But this C.H., he already had what he needed to carry out this plan." Dominic finished the thought.

"Exactly." Archangel confirmed.

"Well that's a great story and tells us who's got Caitlin and why but there's still one hell of a big hole." Hawke said as he glared at Michael.

"Where are they keeping her? None of this does us a damn bit of good if we don't have that, Michael. I really hope we haven't just wasted the last 30 minutes here with nothing to show for it!"

"Just hang on, Hawke...there's more." Michael said as he returned the pilot's stare. He had dealt with Hawke enough to know that his current state of bluster was more about his concern for Caitlin than anger at the spy. "Marella, tell him the rest."

Nodding to Michael, Marella turned back towards Hawke. "Thanks to Caitlin's clues, we already had our full resources looking into local airport personnel. We came up with someone pretty interesting. A young man by the of Connor Hamilton. He owns a small private airline specializing in coporate jets by the name of CHM airlines. His operation is based in one of the outskirt hangars at LAX. Long story short, further investigation into Connor Hamilton has led us to believe that he's Charles' son. We were also able to link C.H., Connor's uncle and Charles' brother, to a few flights in and out of CHM Airlines."

For a few long seconds a loud silence filled the room as everyone processed all of the information. Finally, Marella spoke again, "Hawke, there is one more thing you should know about Connor. He's been charged more than once with violent acts against women. The charges have always been dropped before going to court. We suspect the women were threatened or paid off by the uncle but we can't prove it. I just thought you should know."

Visions of Gabrielle's battered and lifeless body flashed through Hawkes mind and without a word of acknowledgment to Marella, Hawke turned and headed towards the door of the office. "C'mon Dom...we have what we need. Let's get to The Lady."

"Hawke!, " Michael called out to the pilot. "You can't just go storming in there."

"The hell I can't!" Hawke said as he turned back around to face the spy. "Caitlin's already been hurt too much and I'll be damned if I let anything else happen to her."

"I understand that Hawke but you're talking about taking Airwolf right into the middle an international airport. There's a lot of innocent people that could caught in the crossfire. We need time to put a plan in place and make sure we do the most we can to keep everyone safe."

"And what about Caitlin? Are you willing to sacrifice her so that you can get a "plan" in place, Michael? Because I'll tell you that I'm not. You do what you have to do but Dom and I are headed to CHM Airlines. Nows the time to strike while we still have the element of surprise on our side. Moffet doesnt know that we' ve figured out that he doesnt have Sinjin. If you have any FIRM personnel already on site, which I suspect you do, then I suggest you clear the area of any innocent bystanders. Let's go, Dom."

"Dominic..." Michael started to plead his case to the older man but had no chance as Dom instantly began to follow Hawke out the door.

"No Michael. I'm with, String. We're going to get Cait, " was all he said.

Michael and Marella could do nothing but watch the two pilots head out the door. "God Speed," was all that Marella said.

_TBC..._


	9. Chapter 9

_**The Choice**_

_A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only. _

**Chapter 9**

Hawke and Dominic flew straight from Knightsbridge to The Lair. Although Hawke had taken the pilot's seat for this flight, he still remained silent for the most part. Dominic understood that there was a lot to think about. Never in their wildest dreams did either man think they would have to be dealing with another Moffet. One had been bad enough.

Entering The Lair, both pilots stopped for a moment to just look at the magnificent machine that stood silently and somewhat ominously before them.

"Has it all been worth it, Dom?" Hawke asked, never taking his eyes off the black copter. "I mean, have I sacrificed my family just to be able to fly Airwolf? I've always told myself that I was helping and that one day keeping Airwolf would lead me to finding Sinjin but at what cost has that happened? Is Cait going to the pay the price for my selfishness?"

"No, String," Dom tried to comfort the younger man but truth be told, he himself had had some of the same reservations about Airwolf over the last 12 hours. However, after thinking about it he knew that Airwolf was where she needed to be and that Stringfellow Hawke was the only man he would trust to keep her. "No, we've done the right thing. Just think what could have happened if The Lady here had fallen into someone else's hands. We gave Caitlin full disclosure when we finally decided to bring her on, she knew what she was getting into and the risks that could entail."

"That doesn't excuse it, Dom. She should have never been given access in the first place. I knew that as soon as I let her in she would be in danger but I did it anyways because it was what I wanted to do. "

"Dammit, String, you're not to blame for this!" Dom said quite loudly as he turned to look at the man he considered a son. The forcefulness of his voice got String's attention and he finally pulled his eyes away from Airwolf to look at Dom.

"String, you know Cait as well as I do…better. You couldn't have kept her away from The Lady anymore than I could have. Once that girl sets her mind to something we both know you just better get out of her way or get run over. And it's exactly that stubbornness that's going to get her through this, too."

"Dom…I can't lose her," Hawke said as he leaned back against a large rock as he felt his knees go weak. "If Sinjin's dead, I can handle that. Hell, I somewhat prepared myself for that years ago. If I can at least get his body back, I'll be okay. But you and Caitlin, Dom, you're all the family I've got. "

"You're in love with her." Dom stated matter of factly as he looked into Hawke's eyes. "And if I'm right, you have been for quite a while."

Hawke's first instinct was to deny it but he knew that it was no longer a point worth fighting. "Yes, Dom…I am. I've tried to deny it but I just can't any more. I NEED her Dom, she's the only one other than you that really gets me and God knows there's not anyone else who would put up with me for this long."

"Well that's surely the truth, kid!" Dom said with a good-natured smile. "And you know what? I just happen to know that she loves you, too, String. She as much as told me that when we came after you at Horn's compound. "

Hawke looked at Dominic with surprise. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because, kid…it wasn't my place to tell you. I knew that eventually, once both of you got beyond the stubbornness that you both hold onto so tightly, that you'd get around to letting each other know. But it had to be on your own time…your own terms, you know?"

"Yeah, but what if I've waited too long, Dom? What if it's too late?"

"Well if that's what you're worried about then I suggest we stop standing around here gabbing like a coupl e of women and go get our girl back!" Dom reached over and gave Hawke an encouraging slap on the back as he started to head for the chopper. "C'mon kid, time's a wasting!"

Hawke couldn't suppress a smile as Dom reached in the chopper and retrieved the two lilac-colored flight suits they would need and handed one to String. Pushing himself off the rock, String hesitated for just a moment . "_Hang on Caitlin, I'm coming_," he said silently feeling that by finally admitting his love for her out loud a new connection had been forged and that she could somehow hear him. With a new and stronger determination, he and Dom started their preflight checks.

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

Caitlin sat on a mattress in the corner of the cold dark room she had been locked in and looked around, desperately trying to find something that would help her escape. After the last phone call and Hawke's obvious failure to make a decision (whatever that was about!?) she had been given back to the blonde haired man that she had heard someone refer to as "Connor". She had already figured out that anytime this Connor was involved, things were not good for her.

As soon as the phone had been taken away from her he had systematically and with what almost appeared like joy to her, beaten her almost to the point of unconsciousness. By now she figured she was suffering from a pretty good concussion as well as what felt like a broken right arm and/or dislocated shoulder. Things were quickly going from bad to worse for her and yet Caitlin had no understanding of why or who these people were.

Sure, she had surmised that this most likely had to do with Airwolf. It was always Airwolf that these crazies wanted but there seemed to be something more here, something more personal. She had tried to goad some of the men watching her into telling her something but whoever was in charge of this whole operation evidently had them running scared as they had done nothing but remain silent.

Following the last beating, she had wanted to be angry with String but in her heart she knew that there had to be a good reason for him to delay coming after her. She realized that it must be killing him to hear someone he cared for being hurt. Whatever they were holding over him had to be very important to him. For Caitlin, that could only mean one thing…Sinjin. She knew that Hawke would give up Airwolf in a heartbeat to get her back if that's all it took but for him to hesitate, there had to be something more. The only thing that Hawke cared about more than her and Dom and Airwolf was his brother.

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. The 'decision' they had been forcing him to make must have to do with Sinjin and her. Had someone actually found St. John? Were they forcing him to choose between Caitlin and his own brother? "_God in Heaven," _she thought to herself as the scenario started to come clear to her. "_What he must be going through. I've got to find a way out of here myself. If I'm free then there's no choice and Hawke won't have to do this!" _

With her realization came a renewed vigor to find a way out. Mulling it over she came to the conclusion that for this plan to work, she'd have to be alive. Maybe, just maybe, if she could convince her guards that Connor had done a little too much damage to her, they would either get her out or bring in someone to provide medical treatment to hold her over until the next phone call, at least. Either way, she should be able to work things to her advantage.

Taking a deep breath, Caitlin readied herself. _"It's okay, Hawke," _she thought sending all of the positive energy his way that she could. _"I understand, now. Don't worry about me…you focus on Sinjin and when I get out of here, together we'll find him. No matter what happens, I love you, Stringfellow Hawke."_

Caitlin then let out a yell of pain, one loud enough she hoped her guards would hear, and fell over in what she hoped was a convincing unconscious-appearing slump. The game was on!

_TBC…_


	10. Chapter 10

_**The Choice**_

_A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only. _

_A/N: And the obligatory action sequence. I always dread writing these as I feel I'm not very good at them but they are necessary for most stories. I hope I do the scene justice and I hope you enjoy!_

**Chapter 10**

12:36 a.m., Wednesday; Airwolf

Hawke put Airwolf into hover mode as he and Dom approached the air space surrounding LAX. Marella had uploaded all of the schematics for the hangar and surrounding areas of CHM Airlines to the Airwolf computers and Hawke wanted to do a little reconnaissance of the area before going in. Hopefully Michael had been successful in contacting his agents and having them clear out any innocent bystanders in the area. At least the hangar was at the far reaches of the airport and there wasn't much else in the way of personnel or traffic in the area, especially in the middle of the night. If all went well, they could get in, get Cait, take care of the Moffets and get out without too much disruption. A tall order, to say the least.

"Turn on the infrared scanners, Dom. See what we've got in the hangar," Hawke instructed. From the schematics that Marella had provided he knew that while the hangar was, like most, a wide open space on the inside, there were a few walled off rooms that lined the back end of it. Most likely, an office, a storage room and a bathroom. He was counting on the fact that Caitlin was being kept in one of the rooms.

"You got it! Infrared, on." Dom confirmed from the engineer's position as he started interpreting the readout on his monitor. "Looks like we've got four guards outside the hangar and another five warm bodies showing up on the scan inside. They all appear armed, probably automatic rifles, but I don't see any heavy artillery, even on the small jet parked inside."

"Can you get a fix on Cait, specifically?" Hawke asked.

"I think so. I figure Cait's the one in the storage room in the back right corner of the hangar. I don't like it though, String. I'm not seeing a whole lot of movement from her," Dom said as he immediately began to worry about Cait's condition.

"Can you scan vital signs on her?" Hawke asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Sure can, give me just a minute," Dom said as he tapped in the instructions on his computer keyboard.

After a few tense seconds, Dom smiled. "She looks okay, String! Heart rates a little fast but that's understandable."

Hawke breathed a sigh of relief before he continued. "She alone?"

"Yeah..No, wait. Something's happening String…two men just went in. They appear to be physically removing her from the room. I don't like it, String…she's not fighting back at all. It almost looks like they're dragging her out. She may be unconscious." Dom advised as he nervously watched the red blips move around on his screen.

"Damn," Hawke cursed. He had hoped that Caitlin would be in good enough shape to escape and get to Airwolf on her own once they started their attack on the hangar but it appeared as if he would have to go in after her. Of course he would do whatever he had to to get her back but it also made the whole scenario much more difficult. Nothing was ever easy when it came to Airwolf, it seemed.

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

Cait lay curled up and motionless on the floor hoping that the two guards outside her door had heard her scream and would come in to see what was going on. The scream had done nothing for her concussion and her shoulder was throbbing with pain. She was beginning to wonder if this had been such a good idea.

Finally, the door opened and the two men approached. "Hey, what's the matter with you lady?" one asked as he took his foot and used it to turn her over onto her back. Cait moaned lightly as she rolled over.

"Hey, man, she don't look so good," one guard said to the other. "She's supposed to be conscious for that next phone call. You think the boss worked her over a little too good?"

"He did seem a little over zealous that last time," the other guard said as he looked at the limp woman laying at his feet. "Let's get her up and walking around. The boss will have our heads if we let her die on us."

"Well maybe he should have thought about that before he beat her to a pulp."

"Yeah, you gonna tell him that?"

"Not me! Come on, help me get her to her feet." Placing their weapons against the wall, the two guards got on each side of her and lifted her up by her shoulders. It took everything Cait had not to scream out in real pain when the one on the right clamped on to her already injured arm. Keeping up her appearance of being unconscious she let her chin drop loosely to her chest as they lifted her up. It was also a way to keep them from seeing her grimace.

"Now what?" the one asked the other. "She doesn't appear to be waking up."

"Let's get her outside. Maybe the cold night air and a little water from the hose out there will get her attention."

"Boss ain't going to like us taking her outta here," one of the guards observed.

"He'll like it a lot better than if we let her die! "C'mon, he's asleep in the office anyways. If we do this right we can get her in and out before he knows anything. Let's go."

Cait let her feet drag between them as they started heading towards the door. _"Well that's two of them unarmed anyways," _she thought as she struggled to keep up her charade. She knew if she wasn't careful she really would pass out from the pain and that wasn't going to do her any good. Hopefully, if she could get outside, she could figure out a way to escape from there. At least getting out of the hangar would be one less obstacle to have to get through.

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWWAWAWAW**

"Okay, Dom. We're going to have to set her down and I'm going to go in after Cait. You're going to have to cover me in The Lady."

"You think that's a good idea, String? Not counting Caitlin there's eight armed men down there. You're good, kid, but even you can't face eight to one odds on your own!" Dom protested.

"Hopefully, I won't have to, Dom. On my signal you're going to take out the four outside with Airwolf. In the confusion, I 'm hoping I'll be able to get in and extract Caitlin."

"I don't like it, String." Dom said as he shook his head. "Too many unknowns."

"You got a better idea? We're running out of time!" Hawke shot back with frustration.

With a weary sigh, Dom knew that at this point they had no other choice. As Hawke did a check on his 9mm, Dom began to maneuver Airwolf into a spot where he could let Hawke out without being seen.

"Wait a minute, String!"

"What is it, Dom?"

"Cait…they're bringing her out!" Dom said as he watched the infrared signals on his screen.

"Give me a visual," Hawke instructed as he turned his attention towards the monitor on the pilot's console.

Hawke and Dom watched breathlessly as Cait was dragged from the hangar by two unarmed men.

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

Cait felt the cold rush of the night air immediately as the hangar door was opened. But there was something else, too, that pricked her senses into overdrive as she entered the night. _"Hmmm, maybe some of Hawke has rubbed off on me after all this time,"_ she thought as she smiled to herself. Along with the distant sound of passenger jet airplane traffic coming from the main airport, Cait could swear that she heard another distinct sound, one that only a handful of people would be able to distinguish from the others that filled the night. _"Airwolf!" _she thought with pride. "_He's here! Hawke's here!"_

Cait now knew that Dom and Hawke were most likely watching her, waiting for the right time to make their move. Realizing that there were more armed men outside the hangar, she allowed herself to be dragged around the corner, away from them by the two that currently had her.

Once they were around the corner of the building, out of the line of sight of the others, Caitlin knew it was her one chance to make her move. Summoning every bit of strength and courage she had, Caitlin quickly got her feet under her and stood up catching the two men by surprise and throwing them off balance. Before they could react she spun on each of them using a swift roundhouse karate kick to the neck , first to the one on the right, then quickly recovering to get a solid hit on the one to the left, immediately rendering them both unconscious.

Watching from above, Dom couldn't contain his excitement. "Thatta girl!" he yelled as String quickly aimed Airwolf towards the front of the hangar, focusing in on the armed men running around the corner to see what the commotion was all about.

"Give me chain guns, Dom!" Hawke was smiling under his helmet as he quickly gave the order to Dom. The men on the ground stopped in their tracks as they heard the cry of the massive helicopter as it approached like a ghost out of the night only to stop and hover directly in front of them…chain gun pods deployed, locked and loaded.

"Throw down your weapons and send the girl over to us." Hawke ordered from the loudspeaker of helicopter. When he saw the hesitation of the armed men to follow his orders, he quickly laid down a barrage of chain gun fire, taking out all four men at once.

Inside the hangar, having been awakened by the gunfire, both of the Moffet men immediately understood what was happening. "Get in the jet!" Hamilton yelled to his nephew Connor. "We've got to get out of here now!"

"String!, They're starting up the jet inside. Moffet and the nephew are going to try and break out of that hangar!" Dom yelled as he monitored what was happening inside.

"Bring her down and let me out, Dom. I'm going to get Cait and get her away from the building. Once we're clear, you take care of the jet, inside."

"With pleasure, String," Dom said as he watched Hawke jump from Airwolf while she was still a good ten feet off the ground. Dom waited until he saw Hawke lead Caitlin safely away from the hangar before turning back towards the hangar. Hawke and Caitlin watched from afar as the nose of the private jet crashed through the hangar door only to be confronted by a fully armed Airwolf. Within seconds, Dom had released enough chain gun fire to cause the jet to catch fire and explode in front of them while still on the ground. Anyone inside would have been dead immediately.

When the shooting was over, Hawke's attention immediately went back to the woman at his side. "Cait," was all he could manage to say as he took the time to look at her bruised face and put his arms around her so he could feel that she was actually there with him.

"I knew you'd come, Hawke." Cait said as she felt the pain that she had worked so hard to ignore before begin to take over and she passed out in his arms.

_TBC…_


	11. Chapter 11

_**The Choice**_

_A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only. _

**Chapter 11**

_4:30 a.m.; Wednesday; The FIRM Clinic_

Following the confrontation at the CHM Airline Hangar several hours earlier, Dom and Hawke had brought Caitlin directly to the The FIRM's clinic where she could be treated by the agency's best doctors. Archangel had been advised of what had happened and spent the last several hours cleaning up after Airwolf's mission, including having to do some fast talking trying to explain the aircraft that the LAX control tower swore they had seen entering and leaving the airport grounds on their radar. The explosion at the Hangar would be contributed to a gas leak from one of the jets and eventually everything would be swept under the rug and forgotten with nary a mention of the Moffets involvement to the general public.

Once he dropped Hawke and Cait off, Dom had headed back to The Lair with Airwolf while Hawke spent the next hour and a half pacing the waiting room floor at the Clinic. When he wasn't raving at the clinic staff wanting to know why he couldn't be with Caitlin, he spent the time reflecting over what had happened over the last couple of hours.

At the airport, Hawke had been so caught up in getting to Cailtin and then helping her away from the hangar that, at first, he hadn't realized how hurt she actually was. When she collapsed unexpectedly in his arms on the tarmac, he was so frightened that he had convinced himself that she was dead. He had fallen to the ground with her as he cradled her in his arms, tears falling, believing he had once again lost a woman he loved. It wasn't until Dom had knelt beside him, telling him that Cait was still alive and that they needed to get her to a hospital that Hawke was able to see that she really was still breathing.

By the time they had arrived at the clinic, it had taken Dom and a couple of orderlies to pry Hawke away from Cait long enough to allow the doctors to get a look at her. Dom kept insisting to the younger man that Caitlin would be okay but Hawke refused to believe it until he could see her with his own eyes. There had been too many times that the people he loved the most had left him stranded, even after making promises that they would always be there.

Finally after what had seemed like an eternity, a nurse came and told him that Caitlin was going to be fine. She had a severe concussion, a dislocated shoulder that had been reset and lots of bruising but with time, she would be okay. They would keep her in the hospital for a couple of days for observation but then she would be free to go home.

Upon hearing the report, Hawke had literally collapsed into a chair behind him. Returning from taking Airwolf back to The Lair, Dominic arrived just in time to see Hawke's collapse.

"String! What is it?" he asked in a panic praying that it wasn't bad news.

Looking up at the man he considered a father with tears in his eyes, Hawke could barely speak. "She's going to be okay, Dom. She's really going to be okay."

"Well of course she is, String. I told you that she was too stubborn to let anything happen!" Dom said with a relieved smile. "Listen, you're exhausted. Now that we know she's fine, why don't you go back to the hangar or your cabin and get some shut eye. I'll stay here and I'll call you as soon as she wakes up."

"No, I need to see her for myself. Even if she's just sleeping, I need to see her. I need to let her know that I'm here and I need to tell her some things I should have said a long time ago. You go. I'll stay with her for now."

Dom started to object but when he saw the look in Hawke's eyes, he knew it would be of no use. "Okay, kid, you do what you have to do. But give her a big kiss for me, will ya? I'll be back later this morning."

"Yeah, Dom. I'll do that," Hawke said as he regained his composure and stood back up. "And, Dom…"

"Yeah, kid?"

"Thanks. I don't say it enough but thanks for keeping my head on straight. I don't think I could make it through a day without knowing you were there."

"Aww heck, kid., sure you could," Dom said slightly embarrassed yet extremely happy to hear such things coming from Hawke. "Now go see our girl. The only thanks I need is to see you two happy."

Hawke walked over and gave Dom a hug. Both men had tears in their eyes as they headed in opposite directions.

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

_9:10 a.m.; Wednesday; Caitlin's hospital room_

Cait slowly awakened as she shielded her eyes from the sunlight streaming into her room. Looking around it took her a few minutes to orient herself to her surroundings but she smiled as soon as her eyes settled on Hawke who was sleeping in a chair with his head down on his folded arms on the side of her hospital bed. Reaching out she lightly ran her fingers through his hair causing him to stir.

"Hey, sleepy head," she said as he quickly raised his head in reaction to the touch.

"Caitlin? You're awake!"

"I know that," she said with a sly smile causing him to chuckle with the memory of the first time he had heard that retort from her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he got up from the chair and perched next to her on the bed. As he spoke, he took her hand in both of his.

"Like I've been hit by a truck but I'll be okay. I bet I look awful," she said as she reached up with her other hand and lightly touched some of the bruising Connor Moffet had left on her face.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Hawke answered back with a smile.

"Well, Stringfellow Hawke, just so you know, flattery and white lies will get you just about anything you want!" she answered with a laugh.

"I've already got everything I want, right here." Hawke said seriously as he reached up and lightly brushed a wisp of hair out of Cait's eyes. "That is, if you'll have me."

Caitlin's heart skipped a beat as she looked deep into Hawke's steel blue eyes. She could tell that something had definitely changed in him since this whole ordeal had started. Had he finally come to his senses about her? She hoped with all of her might that he had but there was something she had to know first.

"Hawke, what about Sinjin?" she asked delicately.

"Sinjin?" Hawke asked with a confused look on his face. She had thrown him for a loop with her question.

"Yeah. I'm still really not sure about what all happened but I figured out that whoever it was that had me was trying to make you decide between me and Sinjin. It's why I was trying to escape when I did. I knew that if I was able to get away, you wouldn't have to choose. I didn't want you to go through that. But I don't know what happened. Is Sinjin alive? Did you find him?"

Hawke stood up from the bed and walked over to the window where he stood and looked out at nothing in particular for a few minutes before answering. He needed time to decide exactly what Cait needed to know at this point. Deciding he could tell her about Moffet and his nephew later, he proceeded to answer her question. "No, Cait, I didn't find him. You're right, the people that had you had some things that made me believe that Sinjin was alive. They wanted Airwolf and they said if I handed it over I could either get you or Sinjin back in return, but not both."

"Oh, String!" Caitlin said with a gasp. She could tell by looking at him how hard the last 24 hours must have been for him.

Turning to look at Caitlin, Hawke continued. "I so wanted to believe he was alive, Cait and that I was finally going to find him but at the same time I realized that I couldn't stand the thought of losing you. I realized that I loved you Cait…no…that I was IN love with you and when I heard what was happening to you on the other end of that phone line I just couldn't handle it."

"String…" Caitlin started to speak but was at a loss for words realizing that the emotional turmoil he had been experiencing was a hundred times worse than any physical harm she had been caused.

Walking back across the room, Hawke took his seat back on the bed next to Caitlin. "Finally, Dom and I were able to find some information that led me to the conclusion that the 'evidence' I'd been sent on Sinjin was fake. And other things we found have also led me to believe that he is probably dead, and probably has been for a long time. It tore me up to admit that but then there was you. I knew you were still out there and I knew the only thing that would get me through all of this was to get you back home where you belonged...where I NEEDED you, Cait."

Reaching out, Caitlin gently stroked Hawke's cheek. "String, I wish things had been different. But maybe there's still a chance, right? There's no body to prove that he's gone. Maybe Sinjin's still out there. You can't stop looking, String, and I'll be there every step of the way to help you if you'll let me."

Leaning forward, Hawke gently took Cait in his arms and held her close enough that he could feel her heartbeat meld with his own. Finally letting go he leaned back and looked her in the eyes. "I'm not an easy man, Cait, you know that. I've got a lot of demons and with Airwolf you know there's always the prospect of danger close by. But I promise you, if you'll give me a chance, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy. You and Dom are my family and no matter what happens with Sinjin, I need you in my life. No one has ever made me happy the way you do. So, I'll ask you again…will you have me?"

"String, don't you know? You've had me since the day you rescued me in Pope County. I've always loved you…sometimes I think I've loved you even before I met you. I've just been waiting for you to figure out that you loved me, too."

"Caitlin O'Shannessy, I love you!" he declared as he took her back in his arms.

"I know that!" Cait said with a chuckle just before she finally got the kiss she'd been waiting a lifetime for.

_The END!_

_I hope you liked it! I'm already thinking of my next story, hoping I can get it started soon. Thanks for all of the follows, faves, and reviews _


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